Name elements
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On this page you can find information how to insert name element in different scenarios. We advise to ensure that customer’s first name and surname are spelled in the same way on the flight ticket as in their passport or other travel document accepted on the route.
In case any other airline is included in the ticket, please check with the respective airline that the same instructions apply on their flight segments as well.
General guidelines
Adult
ERICSSON/ANITA MS
Child, 2–11 years old
GERBER/TERRY (CHD/01MAR03)
Young accompanied passenger, 12-15 years old
JOHNSON/MICHAEL (C15)
Youth*, 16–25 years old
SMITH/JOHN MR (IDDOB15JAN95)
*If target is youth fare, also 12–15 applicable
Senior, 65+ years old
CARR/ERIC MR (IDDOB24JUN24)
Passenger with infant
LEAVEY/PATRICK MR (INF/MICHAEL/18MAY06)
Name discrepancies between the flight ticket and the passport may cause problems at check-in and at various authority check points. Please note that the name must be spelled exactly the same way as on the passenger’s passport. One first name is enough.
In SR DOCS element, all names must be written exactly as they are in the passport's machine-readable zone (MRZ). This to ensure that API-data is sent correctly to the authorities, e.g. PAEIVI HANNELE MAEKINEN.
When booking via NDC, please note that passenger name is copied from the name field of the booking to the SR DOCS. Also, in case frequent flyer number is used at the time of booking, the inserted name must match the name in the frequent flyer profile, otherwise booking creation will fail. The name can be corrected to match machine readable name on Finnair.com or at check-in, and the final verification will be done at the airport.
Read more about Advance Passenger Information (API).
Title
Adding the title (MR/MS) to the name element is recommended, but not mandatory.
Title is added to Adult passengers only (not children or infants).
- If the ticket has been issued without a title, it is not necessary to reissue the ticket to include it.
- If the ticket is issued with the wrong title:
- Schengen flights - no need to reissue the ticket with the correct title.
For NDC bookings, as it is not possible to add SR element via NDC channels, please contact our Agent Help Desk to add SR element to the booking.
For Edifact bookings, adding SR CKIN element is sufficient (e.g. SR CKIN PLS NOTE CORRECT GENDER IS MS) - Non-Schengen flights - title should be fixed and ticket reissued. This applies to both, NDC and Edifact bookings (name correction fee applies).
- Schengen flights - no need to reissue the ticket with the correct title.
- Customers with gender neutral passports (gender marker X) can use either MR or MS, or leave the title blank.
Scandinavian and other uncommon letters
- The Scandinavian letters Å, Ä and Ö in the travel document are accepted in the ticket both as AA/A, AE/A and OE/O. E.g. the name MÄKINEN can be written on the ticket as MAEKINEN or MAKINEN. In the API-data (SR DOCS) the name has to be written as MAEKINEN (as it is spelled in the machine readable zone of passport).
- German ß can be written as ss or s in the name element, but in API-data it should be typed as ss (as in the machine readable zone of passport).
- German Ü can be written as U/UE in the name element
Double-barreled names
Double-barreled surnames:
On Schengen and non-Schengen flights (including travel to/from/via the USA) the surname must be written in the name element as it is in the passport. If surname is too long to fit into the name element field of the PNR, it can only be shortened from the end, not from the beginning or middle of the name. For example LEINO-VIRTANEN is shown in the PNR and ticket as LEINO VIRTANEN.
Double-barreled first names:
Two separate first names Päivi Hannele or "two-part" first name Päivi-Hannele can be written in the name element as:
PAIVI/PAEIVI/HANNELE/PAIVIHANNELE/PAEIVIHANNELE, so even one of the two names is sufficient in the name element.
Special cases
When a passenger has only one name in the passport, enter the name by choosing correct option below:
Last name unknown (LNU):
LNU/ELISABETH MS (if there is no name in the last name field of the passport)
For NDC bookings, as it is not possible to add SR element via NDC channels, please contact our Agent Help Desk to add SR element to the booking.
For Edifact bookings, add the SR check-in: SR CKIN AY HN1 PSGR NO LASTNAME1-4
First name unknown (FNU):
JOHNSON/FNU MS (if there is no name in the first name field of the passport)
For NDC bookings, as it is not possible to add SR element via NDC channels, please contact our Agent Help Desk to add SR element to the booking.
For Edifact bookings, add the SR check-in: SR CKIN AY HN1 PSGR NO FIRSTNAME/S1-4
One-letter family names:
At least two letters are needed due to system requirement. If there is only one letter in the family name, please insert first the letter, then an empty space and the gender indicator. For example, if the family name is Y, insert Y MR/LINUS MR.
Fictitious names
According to our Booking and Ticketing Policy, fictitious names are not accepted and will be cancelled by automated PNR control and are subject to Agency Debit Memo (ADM).